ChooChooMan74 wrote:
I went off on a tangent on this, but what I am trying to get at is not everyone can affored a big booty truck to tow a camper. People want to be able to enjoy the outdoors and camp. Aometimes I feel that some people try to make RVing a lifestyle for the people who only have deep pockets. I got what I could currently afford. I wanted to do this because my GFs daughter is growing older everyday and I don't want her to miss out on this.
Sometimes, I think we are too harsh to newbies. I have seen newbies on forums ask a question, get ridiculed and put down, and never come back.
The******I got on my first post, I took some of it and that was part of my decision to downsize. I didn't let the negativity get to me. We railroaders have thick skin. (By the way, you cant say cap with an r in it without getting sensored?)
Everyone has a budget...My dad, (now departed) told me WAYYYYY back, you don't buy what you want, you buy what you can afford...so that's what I did. My family LOVES the outdoors and loves to camp, just like I alway's have..I wanted a big truck and big TT or whatever. I ended up with a car and a pop-up...and that was a big deal to the wife and three kids when we had spent time in tents...Later on, I , like a lot of people in here, learned the hard way...Towed TT's for years with 1/2 ton, purchased a 5er, hooked up to it, and only 27', and next thing I know, I'm feeling like a total fool and spending even more money trying to match a truck up to it now. Learned that lesson the hard way..
I wish, back 15 years or so ago, someone would have "enlightened me", instead of me finding out some things, "the hard way"...I know some don't like to hear that their vehicle might have a hard time towing "whatever" or that they need to think about a smaller/lighter TT, pop up, 5er, etc...but again, I'd just as soon try to help someone not make some of the mistakes I made..yeah, they may take it the wrong way or not want to hear it, just like I heard it when I joined this very forum and was towing a 14,500# 5er with an 03' Chevy 2500 I was told " Too much weight for that truck, you're overloaded"...I talked back, got mad, then I found out the hard way, that most were right...thus, if I wanted to stay heavy with a 5er, I really needed the truck for it, or go to a smaller 5er...may not want to hear it, may already have everything and no more money....that was me, so I waited till I could afford it, but there were a few "hairy moments" when towing with that set up.
GVWR isn't used much anymore, 100# over GVWR? I wouldn't even worry about, heck, I was 900# over, but still under RAWR when I started learning about about the subject. Most use RAWR anymore anyway. BUT, all one has to do is the math and use a little common sense and they should be ok.
"IF" someone asked for an opinion on something, or wants to know if this will work or won't work, or what do you recommend, I'm NOT going to lie to them and tell them they can tow a 16,000# 5er with a 3/4 ton truck if the RAWR is going to be exceeded just to make them feel good about themselves or because they already have it. I'm not going to wonder if my opinions I gave would make whatever they're doing unsafe, or possibly caused them harm.
I've learned a lot in the 40+ years I've towed rv's and yeah, towed over weights, added airbags, put tuners in, and on and on...but I've alway's kept within my budget and I've picked up good information and learned from that AND from my own mistakes.
So when someone DOES give and "asked for opinion or suggestion", and it IS legit and DOES make sense, whether person asking wants to hear it or not...I'm not going to lie about it if I know the "combo" won't work, or may cause issues "down the road":)..I will give opinions or recommendations, IF ASKED, that I believe they should hear, whether it's popular or not. If someone has already purchased everything and comes on the forum and someone tells them it won't work. Hey, if it's working, it's working....but the person doing the towing, knows if it really is or not...when I was told I had more 5er than my truck could handle, I scoffed at and called names, BUT, inside I knew how that truck towed that 5er in the mountains, and it wasn't fun...they were right, I was wrong, I learned from it. If I feel they're wrong, I'll do the research and show them they are, if not, I just "live and learn" from life's experiences...
That's what happens on these forums..Some learn, some never learn, some get mad, some good information is shared, some bad information is given....just another of life's experiences...glean what you can and then make a decison...
..oh, and sometimes when I post, I've often referred to in that endearing term as the "weight police", whether I'm right or wrong, and when I am wrong, I WILL acknowledge it and post it.
